collar, and for an inch or two beneath. The small portion of the throat
and bosom thus exposed was even more brilliantly fair than was promised
by the countenance, which last bore some marks of having been freely
exposed to the sun and air--by no means in a degree to diminish its
beauty, but just so far as to show that the maiden possessed the health
which is purchased by habits of rural exercise. Her long, fair hair fell
down in a profusion of curls on each side of a face whose blue eyes,
lovely features, and dignified simplicity of expression, implied at once
a character of gentleness, and of the self-relying resolution of a mind
too virtuous to suspect evil, and too noble to fear it. Above these
locks beauty's natural and most beseeming ornament--or rather, I should
say, amongst them--was placed the small bonnet, which, from its size,
little answered the purpose of protecting the head, but served to
exercise the ingenuity of the fair wearer, who had not failed, according
to the prevailing custom of the mountain maidens, to decorate the tiny
cap with a heron's feather, and the then unusual luxury of a small and
thin chain of gold, long enough to encircle the cap four or five times,
and having the ends secured under a broad medal of the same costly
metal. I have only to add, that the stature of the young person was
something above the common size, and that the whole contour of her form,
without being in the slightest degree masculine, resembled that of
Minerva, rather than the proud beauties of Juno, or the yielding graces
of Venus. The noble brow, the well-formed and active limbs, the firm and
yet light step; above all, the total absence of any thing resembling the
consciousness of personal beauty, and the open and candid look, which
seemed desirous of knowing nothing that was hidden, and conscious that
she herself had nothing to hide, were traits not unworthy of the goddess
of wisdom and of chastity.

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